so Much More

Album Review

The Motives have been around in various configurations since 1998, and this is the band's debut CD release. Their three years of woodshedding and playing out have paid off handsomely: the Motives' sound is an impressively well-developed hybrid of reggae, ska, funk, and even country, characterized by intricate, flowing basslines, beautifully arranged horn charts, and better-than-average vocals. Interestingly, the guest artists on So Much More include banjo legends Tony Trischka and Bela Fleck. Trischka contributes tasteful pedal steel guitar on "Cat" (a minor-key ska tune which continues the feline theme that dominates the album's cover art), while Fleck plays nearly subliminal banjo on the similarly ska-flavored "Someone Else's Life" and both banjo and guitar on "A Friend in Need." Most of the album stays more in a mainstream reggae vein — not old-school roots and culture reggae for the most part, but modern reggae with dancehall sheen and a rootsy foundation. Highlights include the excellent "Cowboy" and the even better "Bubblin' Pot," a dancehall workout featuring great interplay between singers Marcia Davis and Brian "Milo" Lowe. Highly recommended.